You will spend hours researching, creating, and teaching amazing, meaningful lessons. One of your students will cheat on the test, not turn in a project, or misbehave in class. Please take a deep breath and try not to take it personally.
The cover photo for this blog post is of a poster that hangs on the wall in my classroom. It is not hidden in a corner or behind a door. The sign is in a prominent location next to the computer at my teacher’s desk. The desk is in the front of the room next to the Smart Panel. You can’t miss it.
What is my reason for the poster? My students think it is for them. A reminder that the class and school policies are not a personal attack on them as individuals. They could not be further from the truth. The poster is for me.
The poster reminds me that what the students do in class is 99.9% not about me. I get frustrated and angry after spending hours developing a new unit and changing everything about a tired old unit or lesson. For example, I turned vital signs for Health Science Theory into a game board. There were moans, groans, and complaints.
Nothing upsets me more than a student asking me, “Why didn’t you…?” I spend hours, not during school time, making handouts, videos, quizzes, rules for the game, and everything that goes with it. (I’ll post about the gameboard in another post.) The students don’t take the unit seriously. My anger rises. I get short and sarcastic with students. I shut down and don’t talk to the students when it gets bad. The silence and anger don’t usually last for long, but I know I’m not at my best for that amount of time.
My posted mantra – It’s Not Personal – helps me to manage my emotions during class. I am very passionate about teaching and students.
If you find yourself struggling with some emotional aspect of dealing with students in the classroom, post a reminder where you can see it. You may choose not to place it right up front as I did, but I located where I spend most of my time. Take your time, make it attractive, or jot it on a post-it note. Place the message where you can see it and say the mantra aloud. Lastly, take a deep breath and get back in there.
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